Upholstered seat construction



Aug. 19, 1969 w. ARNOLD ETAL 3,462,196

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8- 1969 H. w. ARNOLD ETAL UPHOLSTERED SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 26, 1967 United States Patent 01 lice 3,462,196 Patented Aug. 19, 1969 Us. (:1. 297-455 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An upholstered chair construction having a frame, a flexible seat cushion decking panel secured at its front edge to said frame, a flexible back cushion decking panel secured at its upper edge to said frame, the rearward edge of said seat panel and the lower edge of said back panel being joined by a connection which is free or floating relative to said frame, each of said panels being interconnected to said frame, or to the other panel, by resiliently extensible members yieldable in a direction at right angles to the axis of the connection between said panels, whereby to permit yielding of said panels transversely to their planes.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in seating structures, and has particular reference to the arrangement and spring support of the decking panels supporting the seat and back cushions.

A principal object of the present invention is the pro vision of an upholstered chair in which the seat and back structures are so interconnected as to move together as a combined unit responsively to movements of the occupant or of the chair itself, thereby producing a chair which provides greater comfort and less fatigue for said occupant. For example, in vehicular seating such as in automobiles, aircraft, boats and the like, vertical bumping or jostling often causes vertical sliding or friction between the occupants back and the back cushion, acceleration and deceleration may cause separation of the occupants back from the back cushion, or excessive pressure thereagainst, and fast turns or cornering may cause lateral sliding of the occupants back across the back cushion. Over extended time periods of usage, this sliding, friction and change of pressures can cause considerable discomfort and fatigue to the occupant. One form of the present invention, especially adapted for vehicular use, provides for concurrent movement of the seat and back cushions in all of these directions, vertically, front-to-rear, and laterally. Even in furniture type seating, where the dynamic effects of vehicle movement need not be considered, it is desirable that the horizontal front-to-rear dimension between the portion of the seat cushion supporting the occupants posterior, and the portion of the back cushion supporting the lumbar region of his back, be maintained as nearly constant as possible, in order to provide better and more uniform support for his back by counteracting the natural tendency to slouch in the chair by moving his hips forwardly. A modification of the present invention, especially adapted for furniture seating provides this concurrent front-to-rear motion of the seat and back cushions in a simpler, less expensive manner than that required for vehicular seating.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of a seat structure of the character described in which the entire spring support of the seat and back panels, which usually requires a large number of soft, relatively expensive compression springs, is accomplished by a relatively few, small, inexpensive tension springs. The structure also provides a chair in which the cushions may have a great depth of spring movement, which is conducive to a sense of greater comfort and luxury, but which at the same time may be very thin in a direction at right angles to their surfaces. The thickness required is virtually no greater than the thickness of the upholstery padding itself, there being virtually no thickness requirement at all for the spring support of the padding. This is a great advantage in the so-called thin line furniture in popular usage.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efliciency and dependability of operation, adaptability for easy adjustment to the requirements or preferences of individual users, and ease of maintenance and repair.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, wherein.

FIG.1 is a vertical sectional view of a chair constructed according to the present invention and especially adapted for automotive or other vehicular use,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the portion of FIG. 1 enclosed in dotted circle II with parts omitted, arranged to show the connection between the seat and back cushion supporting panels,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, arranged to show the connection of the lower tension springs to the cushion supporting panels,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, arranged to show the connection of the upholstery cover sheets to the cushion supporting panels.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification of structure wherein the seat and back cushion supporting panels constitute a unitary structure,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1, showing another modification of structure wherein the lower springs are eliminated,

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modification of the structure particularly adapted for use in furniture seating,

FIG. 8 is a face view of one of the cushion supporting panels,

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line IXIX of FIG. 8, and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line XX of FIG. 8.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies generally to the frame of the chair. FIGS. 16 inclusive illustrate an embodiment of the invention especially adapted for use in automotive or other vehicular seating. Said frame is of rigid construction, including a horizontal front cross bar 4 defining the forward edge of the seat structure, a rear horizontal cross bar 6 defining the rearward edge of the seat structure, and a top horizontal cross bar 8 defining the upper edge of the back structure. The width 3 of the, chairis indeterminatqbeing dictated by-the-particular usage to which it is to be put.

The cushion decking panel for the seat is indicated generally by the numeral and the decking panel for the back is indicated generally at 12. Except for overall dimensions, said panels may be identical, each including as best :shown in FIGS. 8-10 a pair of parallel border strands 14 each having spring wire core 16 covered with a sheath 18 of soft material such as twisted paper, and a series of cross wires 20 of spring steel extending transversely in closely spaced parallel relation between said border strands and each knotted at its respective ends about said border strands by being wrapped tightly thereabout and then twisted about itself as best shown in FIG. 9. The soft sheaths 18 of the border strands provide good purchase for the cross wires thereon in order to preserve the spacing between said cross wires, and also as will appear tends to eliminate the rubbing or grating noises which otherwise could occur from friction between said border strands and other wires or elements to be attached thereto. Each decking panel may also include a number of intermediate strands 22 extending parallel to and spaced regularly between border strands 14. Said intermediate strands may be formed of twisted paper or the like, and are pierced by each of the cross wires 20 as best shown in FIG. 2 having the function of maintaining the spacing between cross wires 29 across the entire width of the panel.

The forward border wire 14 of seat decking panel 10 is secured to front cross bar 4 of the seat frame as by staple-like fasteners 24 (one shown) affixed to said cross bar. It will be understood that a series of said fasteners are used, spaced across the transverse width of the chair. The rear border wire 14 of the seat panel is secured to the lower border wire 14 of back panel 12 by a series of wire clips 26 (one shown, as in FIG. 2) spaced across the width of the chair. It is preferred that this connection between the panels be pivotal as described. However, an alternative construction may be used as indicated in FIG. 5, wherein the seat and back panels are integral, the cross wires 28 thereof extending the full front-to-rear width of the seat panel and the full height of the back panel, being tightly crimped at the juncture of said panels about a single transversely extending border or stake" wire 30 having a paper sheath 32. This is a somewhat simpler construction, and does not seriously interfere with relative angular movement between the panels in view of the flexibility of the cross wires.

The upper border wire 14 of back panel 12 is secured to top cross bar 8 of the chair frame by a series of resiliently extensible members such as helical tension springs 34 (one shown), spaced across the width of the chair. The lower ends of said springs are engaged about upper border wire 14 of the back panel, and the upper end of each spring is engaged in an eye member 36 affixed to cross bar 8. The juncture of the seat and back panels is secured to the frame by a series of helical tension springs 38 (one shown), spaced across the width of the chair. Said springs extend forwardly and rearwardly of the chair, each being engaged at its forward end about the rear border wire of the seat panel and lower border wire of the back panel, as best shown in FIG. 3, and engaged at its rearward end in an eye member 40 affixed to rear cross bar 6 of the chair frame.

Seat decking panel 10 is covered by the usual padding material 42, cross wires 20 of the panel being sufficiently closely spaced to prevent the padding material from working therebetween, and the padding material is in turn covered by the usual cover sheet44 of fabric, leather, plastic or the like, the rearward edge of said cover sheet being joined to the panel border wires at the juncture of the seat and back panels as by wire clips 46 (see FIG. 4), and the forward edge of said cover sheet being drawn down around the forward edege of the seat and secured to any convenient portion of frame 2 as by fasteners 48.

' Similarly,=back decking panel 12 is covered by adding material 50 encased by a cover sheet 52 secured at its lower edge by clips 46 (see FIG. 4). The upper edge of said cover sheet could be attached directly to upper border wire 14 of the back decking panel 12. This would leave springs 34 exposed, which might be permissible in trucks and certain other utility vehicles. However, in automobiles and the like, considerations of safety and appearance require that said springs be enclosed, and this in turn requires a special trim to be described.

An inverted channel 54 of sheet metal or other rigid material is rigidly affixed to frame 2, extending the width of the chair an enclosing springs 34 and top cross bar 8 therein, as best shown in FIG. 1. Said channel is covered externally by a thick roll 56 of elastically compressible padding material such as foam rubber or the like. Cover sheet 52, along a line adjacent top border wire 14, has a narrow strip 58 of pliable material stitched thereto. This strip is attached to top border wire 14 by wire clips (not shown), while cover sheet 52 is continued upwardly over and around padding roll 56, being secured at its rearward edge to the rearward edge of channel 54, as by fasteners 60. Thus when back decking panel 12 moves downwardly in response to downward movement of seat panel 10, causing extension of springs 34, cover sheet 52 is also tensioned to compress padding roll 56, and the springs remain concealed. It will of course be understood that the entire back of the chair may be closed by a cover sheet, not shown, to prevent access either to springs 34 or springs 38 from the rear, in order, for example, to prevent a child from having his finger pinched between the convolutions of the springs.

In use, it will be seen that when a person sits in the chair, the movable or floating relationship of the juncture of the sea and back panels causes said panels, and their related padding or cushions, to move unitarily or in concert, particularly the portions thereof adjacent said juncture which directly support the occupants posterior and the lumbar region of his back, thereby contributing greatly to comfort and reduction of. fatigue during the bumping, jostling and other movements of the occupant and chair during operation of the vehicle. For example, when road bumps or the like cause jostling of the occupant with resultant vertical springing of the seat panel, the back panel also moves vertically by virtue of its direct connection to the seat panel, thereby eliminating rubbing or friction between the back cushion and the occupants back. Such rubbing is a very common cause of fatigue and discomfort. Likewise, when acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle causes the occupants posterior to move the seat cushion forwardly or rearwardly, or when turning of the vehicle causes the occupants weight to push the seat cushion laterally, the back cushion must follow. This creates in effect a true bucket seat in that the seat and back are suspended as a unit from the frame, and both isolated by the spring suspension thereof from movements of said frame.

The spring arrangement also provides a feeling of softness and depth which is highly luxurious and desirable. Chairs have previously been proposed which utilize a seat deck generally as shown, with its rearward edge secured by tension springs, but with the back cushion separately mounted in the frame. This necessitated the use of rather strong, harsh springs, in order that they could develop a sufficient vertical component to support the load carried by the seat, while still maintaining the total vertical deflection of the seat cushion within allowable limits. In the present arrangement, however, the seat deck also derives support from top springs 34 as Well as from rear springs 38, by virtually axial extension of the. former. This permits the use of a softer, more easily, extensible springs providing the desired sense of depth and softness. This effect is further enhanced by the use of spring decking panels which in themselves are elastically deflectable, rather than being pliable or of linked wire construction. That is, said panels are not elastic or stretchable in their own planes, but are flexibly resilient transversely to their planes, so as to be bowed by loads applied thereto. This yielding of the decks themselves increases the depth of yielding of the cushions, and also avoids the stiffness or board-like feeling which would result if the panels were rigid. In order to provide this effect, the cross wires 20 of the panels must of course extend transversely between the supported or suspended edges of the panels, as shown. The stiffness and spacing of the wires may be selected to provide the panels with the desired degree of yieldability.

In the modification of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the rear spring 38 of the species shown in FIGS. 1-5 are replaced by a series of pliable but non-elastic straps 62 (one shown) spaced across the width of the chair. As shown, each strap has its mid-portion looped about the border wires 14 at the juncture of the panels. For this purpose, the strap obviously must be sufiiciently narrow to pass between adjacent cross wires 20 of the panels. The ends of the strap are then brought together, extended downwardly and rearwardly as shown, and afiixed to any convenient portion of frame 2, as by fasteners 64. The downward and rearward extension of straps 62 is necessary since the juncture of the seat and back panels must be free to move forwardly and downwardly, both to permit the downward and forward movement of the rearward edge of the seat panel as said panel is loaded, and to permit downward movement of the back panel as top springs 34 are extended. Ordinarily, straps 62 are installed under sufficient tension to elongate springs 34 slightly, and serve principally to hold the seat and back panels in proper relation. They do not actually support either panel. This form of the invention has the advantage of economy in that springs 38 are eliminated. It probably will not be considered as comfortable as the species of FIGS. 1-5, since both the seat and back must be supported entirely by springs 34, with no assistance from straps 62, and springs 34 must consequently be substantially stronger than in FIGS. 1-5.

FIG. 7 shows a modification of the invention especially suited for use in furniture, rather than vehicular seating. In this species the frame 2 is usually formed of wood, having a front cross bar, not shown, corresponding to cross bar 4 of FIG. 1 and to which front border wire 14 of seat decking panel is secured in the same manner as in FIG. 1 and a rear cross bar 66 corresponding to cross bar 6 of FIG. 1 and to which the rearward border wire 14 0f the seat deck is attached by helical springs 38 in the same manner as in FIG. 1. However, the upper edge of back decking panel 12 thereof is attached directly by staples 68 to top cross bar 70, which corresponds to top cross bar '8 of FIG. 1, while the lower edge thereof is secured to rear border wire 14 of the seat deck by a series of helical tension springs 72 which correspond to top springs 34 of FIG. 1. Hence the seat deck is free to yield downwardly and forwardly much the same as in FIG. 1, but the back panel cannot yield vertically. The padding material 74 of the back is encased by a cover sheet 76 fastened at its lower edge to rear border wire 14 of the seat deck, and attached at its upper edge to cross bar 70 by fasteners 78. To prevent interference between springs 72 and padding 74, each spring 72 is enclosed by a tubular cover '80. Said cover is prevented from riding upwardly by an ear 82 thereof bent inwardly beneath the lower convolution of said spring. In this species also the seat cushion may be loose, including padding 84 enclosed in a cover sheet 86, and resting on seat decking panel 10.

In the species of the invention shown in FIG. 7, the back cushion cannot follow the vertical motion of the seat cushion as in FIG. 1, although in all other respects the operation is quite similar. However, the vertical movement is not an important consideration in furniture, the necessity for it arising from the vertical bouncing or jostling which occurs in vehicles. Moreover, the FIG. 7 structure is somewhat more economical, eliminating the necessity for the more elaborate and necessarily more expensive special trim shown at the top of the back in FIG. 1.

It will be apparent also that the FIG. 7 species could be utilized with the modification shown in FIG. 6. In that case, of course, the straps 62 would be looped only around the rear border wire 14 of the seat decking panel, and would have no direct connection to the back decking panel.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. An upholstered seat construction comprising:

(a) a rigid frame having a front cross bar at the forward edge of the seat portion thereof and a top cross bar at the top of the back portion thereof,

(b) a flexible seat decking panel attached at its for- Ward edge to said front cross bar and extending rearwardly therefrom.

(c) a flexible back decking panel having upper and lower edges disposed respectively adjacent said top cross bar and the rearward edge of said seat decking panel,

(d) means directly attaching one of said edges of said back desking panel to the adjacent top cross bar or rearward edge of said seat decking panel.

(e) resiliently extensible means yieldable in a direction at right angles to the juncture of said seat and truck panels and extending between and interconnecting the other of said edges of said back panel to the adjacent top cross bar or rearward edge of said seat panel,

(f) connecting means joining the rearward edge of said seat panel to said frame and operable to permit downward and forward movement of the rearward edge of said seat panel, said connecting means consisting of elongated, transversely flexible members connected at their forward ends to the rearward edge of said seat panel and at their rearward ends to said frame, the rearward ends thereof being positioned no higher than the rearwardly extended plane of said seat panel, and

(g) seat and back cushions respectively overlying said seat and back decking panels.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means connecting the rearward edge of said seat panel to said frame comprises resiliently extensible members yieldable in a front-to-rear direction with respect to said seat panel.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein said resiliently extensible members comprise helical tension springs.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a series of pliable, generally non-elastic members each secured at one end to the rearward edge of said seat panel and extending downwardly and rearwardly therefrom, being attached at its opposite end to said frame.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lower edge of said back panel is attached directly to the rearward edge of said seat panel, and wherein said resiliently extensible means recited in section (e) of claim 1 comprises tension springs extending between and interconnecting the upper edge of said back panel to said top cross bar.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein said back cushion comprises a main padding portion carried by said back decking panel, a downwardly compressible top padding portion mounted on said top cross bar and enclosing said springs, and a padding covering sheet overlying both of said padding portions.

7. The structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein said means connecting the rearward edge of said seat panel to said frame consists of a series of pliable, generally nonelastic straps spaced across the width of the seat, each attached at one end to the rearward edge of said seat panel and extending rearwardly and downwardly therefrom, being attached at its opposite end to said frame.

8. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the upper edge of said back panel is attached directly to said top cross bar, and wherein the resiliently extensible means of section (e) of claim 1 extends between and interconnects the lower edge of said back panel to the rearward edge of said seat panel.

9. The structure as set forth in claim 8 wherein said resiliently extensible means comprises a series of tension springs spaced across the width of the seat.

References Cited 2 UNITED STATES PATENTS Komenda 297- 156 10 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

